The Board granted service connection for right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain and osteochondral injury, lumbosacral strain, status post fusion, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and unspecified depressive disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows the Veteran's current disabilities are related to in-service injuries and symptoms that continued after service. The Board relied on medical opinions from VA examiners and private doctors who concluded the disabilities were more likely than not caused by or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain and osteochondral injury, lumbosacral strain, status post fusion, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, unspecified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2024
- Citation
- 24003377
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's low back injury occurred during a period of active duty for training (ADT) and continued therefrom.
- Granted
The Board granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, finding that her symptoms more closely approximated those required for such a rating.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and granted initial 40 percent ratings for left upper extremity CTS, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right leg sciatica with radiculopathy pain and paresthesia, but denied increased ratings for PTSD, lumbosacral strain, left wrist limitation of motion with ganglion cyst, and service connection for headaches, unspecified. Several issues were remanded.
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